Council approves vacating East Boulder Street to enable Palmer High redevelopment after safety and funding debate

The Colorado Springs City Council voted 6–2 on May 28 to approve an ordinance vacating the public right‑of‑way on East Boulder Street between North Nevada Avenue and North Weber Street, clearing the way for a planned consolidation of Palmer High School’s campus and associated athletic facilities.

Supporters, including School District 11 representatives, told the council the vacation is tied to a multi‑phase redevelopment that aims to move most student activities onto a single consolidated campus and reduce the number of street crossings students must make each day. ‘‘If you can reduce risk or if you can reduce the number of conflicts between vehicles and vulnerable users … you provide some infrastructure that reduces the opportunity for a conflict,’’ said Todd Frisbie, city traffic engineer, describing planned signal changes and pedestrian refuges.

Brandon Comfort, deputy superintendent for District 11, and Chris Lieber, the district’s development consultant, said the district has continued to refine the development plan since the item last failed on a tied vote. Lieber said the project team has targeted more than 250 parking spaces overall and expects about 262 spaces when on‑site and adjacent lots are combined. He said existing on‑campus and off‑campus lots plus agreements (including long‑used diagonal parking on Cheyenne) make that target feasible.

Council members pressed district and city staff on technical constraints that shaped the decision. Chris Lieber and school representatives explained that utilities in the Boulder Street corridor — especially a gas main and a critical storm sewer — constrain options for tunnels or skybridges and would likely require relocation for some future phases. ‘‘Nothing can be built over [a gas main] … so unless they move the gas main completely, no infrastructure can go on that Boulder Street,’’ a district engineer said.

Several members also pressed for clarity about the bond that would fund later phases. Brandon Comfort said the district is still refining bond timing and engagement and has not yet set a ballot date; he told council that some work required by Phase 1 (the academic wing) is already funded in the district capital plan and that other elements depend on voter approval of a larger bond measure.

The council’s motion to return to the original approval (the motion was made by Council Member Line Weber and seconded by Council Member Williams) carried 6–2. The ordinance includes conditions intended to protect the city’s interests, including language that the right‑of‑way could be returned to the city if the district disposes of the campus and the city opts to accept that return. No new public testimony was taken because the item was a reconsideration of a previous hearing.

Opponents and some council members raised concerns about impacts to downtown traffic, business access, and emergency response routing; several asked for more detailed traffic modeling showing effects over a 10– to 15‑year growth horizon before finalizing future development approvals. The vote cleared the statutory step to vacate the road; subsequent development plans and any construction will follow city review and permitting processes.

The council formally approved the ordinance on the record and the matter will proceed to administration and implementation steps required by the city.